St. Willibald passed here on his way from Gaza to Jerusalem, and mentions the sepulchres of the patriarchs at a place called the "Castle of Aframia." In this corrupt reading we may recognise the first trace of the "Castle of St. Abraham," the name by which Hebron was generally known in the age of the crusades, and in allusion to which it is still called among the Arabs el-Khŭlîl. In like manner Saewulf, about A. D. 1103, speaks of the monuments of the patriarchs as surrounded by a strong castle.2 Thus far we find no mention either of a church or mosk within the enclosure; unless it be the above notice of a "Basilica," by Antoninus Martyr, before the Muhammedan conquest. This seems however merely to refer to the exterior structure; for certainly Christians and Jews would not be found occupying a church together. Ali Bey indeed describes the present mosk as having formerly been a Greek church; remarking at the same time, that the body of it is Gothic.3 But here is an inconsistency; no Greek church has pointed arches, which were first introduced by the Saracens and imitated by the Latins. Hence, if the latter assertion of Ali Bey be correct, the edifice may not improbably have been built as a church by the Latins, when they erected Hebron into a bishopric in A. D. 1167. The historians of that age do not indeed men rum quadrato humili circumvenitur muro;" Adamnanus ex Arculfo II. 10. The epithet humili was probably added from some misapprehension on the part of Adamnanus himself. 1)" Et inde tunc ibat ad castellum Aframia; ibi requiescunt tres patriarchae," etc. Hodoepor. 21. p. 377. ib. 13. p. 387. ed. Mabillon. 2) "Hebron-in cujus orientali parte monumenta sanctorum patriarcharum antiquitus facta castello fortissimo circumcinguntur." Saewulf Peregrinat. p. 269. 3) Travels II. P 232. 4) Will. Tyr. XX. 3. Le Quien Or. Christ. III. p. 1270. William of Tyre says expressly, there had never been a Greek bishop at Hebron, but only a prior. Mejr edDîn about A. D. 1495 refers the mosk to the times of the Greeks; by whom he most probably means the crusaders. Fundgr. des Or. II. p. 375. Benjamin of Tudela, who was here after A. D. 1160, says the tombs had been built up by the Christians; Voyages par Baratier p. 100. tion the building of a church on that occasion; but neither do they speak of the Latin church at Neby Samwîl, as to which however there can be no question. The Arabian historian of Jerusalem and Hebron, describes the mosk as having a large dome between two smaller ones towards the East and West; and speaks of a pulpit with carved work in wood, bearing date `A. H. 484 (A. D. 1091); which however was first brought hither by Saladin after the capture of Askelon in A. D. 1187.1 Thus, it appears to me, we may rest with confidence in the view, that the remarkable external structure of the Haram is indeed the work of Jewish hands, erected long before the destruction of the nation, around the sepulchre of their revered progenitors, "the Friend of God" and his descendants.2 The cave of Machpelah is described in Scripture as at the "end of the field," overagainst Mamre, the same as Hebron ;3 and all the later writers above quoted, speak of the sepulchre of the patriarchs as at or in Hebron, not near it. Here then the "Father of the faithful," as also Isaac and Jacob, rested from their wanderings! Just at the left of the principal entrance of the Haram, is a small hole in the massive wall, through which the Jews are permitted at certain times to look into the interior. Here several Jewish women were reading prayers and wailing; although the hole was now closed by a shutter from within. I spoke to some of them in German; but they were all from Spain, and we could hold no communication. A little north of the Haram, on the main street leading to it, is a castle or citadel, not high, but with massive walls of great strength; a part of which had 1) Mejr. ed-Din in Fundgr. des Or. II. p. 375. 3) Gen. xxiii. 9, 17, 19. Comp. XXXV. 27. been thrown down and were now lying in ruins. This was said to have been occasioned by an earthquake. It may perhaps with more probability be referred to the troops of Ibrahim Pasha in 1834; since an earthquake powerful enough to overturn walls so massive, would hardly have failed to leave behind other traces of its devastations.-Near by the Haram, on the opposite side of the same street, the gateway of a Khân, or some building of the kind, bears an inscription with the date of A. H. 679 (A. D. 1280), recording that it was erected by order of the Egyptian Sultan Seif edDîn. In passing along the skirts of the town on the hill-side north of the Haram, we came upon a large manufactory of water-skins, occupying an extensive yard with several tanner's vats. These are merely the skins of goats stripped off whole, except at the neck; the holes at the legs and tail being sewed up. They are first stuffed out full and strained by driving in small billets and chips of oak-wood; and are then filled with a strong infusion of oak bark for a certain time, until the hair becomes fixed and the skin sufficiently tanned. This constitutes the whole process. Not less than fifteen hundred skins were lying thus stuffed, in rows about the yard. They are sold at different prices, from fifteen up to forty Piastres. This establishment is private property. ram. The Bazar is on a street not far north of the HaWe were struck with the abundance and large size of the raisins; finer indeed than we saw anywhere else in the East; and also with the excellence and cheapness of the fruits in general. The large delicious oranges of Yâfa were selling here eight or ten for a single Piastre. The butchers' stalls attracted our notice by the abundance of mutton hung out before them; the fatness and apparent delicacy of which would do credit to an English farmer. In other respects, the Bazars were not well supplied; and portions of them stood empty and desolate, in consequence (it was said) of the decay of trade, after the storming of the town in 1834. In the dark narrow lanes near the north end of the main quarter, are the manufactories of glass for which Hebron has long been celebrated.' We looked in upon some of these, and found the processes in general much the same as elsewhere, though more rude. The aspect of these establishments reminded me much of Pittsburg; though they are on a far inferior scale. The articles manufactured consist almost solely of small glass lamps, many of which are exported to Egypt; and rings of coloured glass, worn by females on the arms. We had seen great quantities of these for sale in Jerusalem; and several large crates of rings and lamps were now lying in the streets, ready for loading on camels for transportation. Returning to our tent, we found there several visitors from Jerusalem. From them we learned, that on the day of our departure proclamation had been made through the streets, that the city would be shut up on the following day; which was done accordingly. They and many others had left their homes; and were now wandering about in the neighbouring towns and villages. About 11 o'clock, we went out to pay our respects to Elias and his family under the great oak. Just as we left the town, two camels escorted by a few soldiers came in from Dûra, loaded with the miserable spoils in the shape of old and broken fire-arms, extorted from the people of that place by the three governors. 1) These are mentioned in the 15th century as already flourishing. Gumpenberg's Journal, VOL. II. 56 A. D. 1449, Reissb. p. 445. Felix Our road was the same by which we had arrived yesterday, lying between two walls, and leading through rich fields and vineyards. The general character of these, as well as the variety and abundance of other fruits which grow around Hebron, such as figs, pomegranates, apricots, quinces, and the like, has already been alluded to, in connexion with our former visit.1 We could now observe more nearly the peculiar manner of training the vines. They are planted singly in rows, eight or ten feet apart in each direction. The stock is suffered to grow up large to the height of six or eight feet, and is then fastened in a sloping position to a strong stake, and the shoots suffered to grow and extend from one plant to another, forming a line of festoons. Sometimes two rows are made to slant towards each other, and thus form by their shoots a sort of arch. These shoots are pruned away in autumn. The vineyards belonging to the city are very extensive, reaching almost to Teffûh, and also for some distance towards Dhoherîyeh, and covering the sides of nearly all the hills. The lodges of stone, which serve for the watchmen, and also in part for the samilies of Hebron during the vintage, have been before mentioned. The vintage is a season of hilarity and rejoicing for all; the town is then deserted, and the people live among the vineyards in the lodges and in tents. The produce of these vineyards is celebrated throughout Palestine. No wine however nor 'Arak is made from them, except by the Jews; and this not in great quantity. The wine is good. The finest grapes are dried as raisins; and the rest being trodden and pressed, the juice is boiled down to a syrup, which under the name of Dibs3 is much used by all classes 1) See the account of our first visit to Hebron, Vol. I. p. 316. 2) Vol. I. p. 314. 3) This is the Hebrew word , signifying 'honey,' and also 'syrup of grapes.' |